Mr and Mrs Santa Claus
by DNAisUnique
Summary: Booth needs some help, but where does he turn? To Brennan, of course! **Rating bumped up to T!** COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**Firstly, thanks for all the support and feedback for my previous fic, 'Better Than Sex.' Due to the overwhelming number of requests for a continuation, I have decided not to disappoint, and there will be a second chapter coming soon. Erm, bad pun. Anyway, the following is the introduction for a multi-chapter story, so it's shorter than the rest of the chapters will be...I hope. It's been written for a month, but I wanted to wait until December to post. And since it's December... Enjoy! **

**VVVVV**

"Brennan," she said, pressing the phone to her ear.

"Bones, I need your help." He sounded tired and a little irritated.

"What is it, Booth? Do we have a case?"

"Not really. I've got to be Santa for Parker's class at school, and I need a helper."

"You can't classify that as 'not really a case.' Nothing about that is case-related."

"Bones…"

"Come on, you can't be serious," she laughed, even though his tone told her otherwise.

"I couldn't be serious-ier. I need someone to help pass out candy canes to the kids."

"Booth, 'serious-ier' isn't a word. And why would you need my help? Couldn't the teacher help you with the candy canes? Besides, does Parker's school even allow portrayal of fictional characters associated with the holiday?"

"Geez, Bones!" Booth sighed. "Way to take all the fun out of it. You can still say 'Santa Claus' and 'Christmas.' And when I agreed to do this, I never thought I'd actually have to go through with it. I thought the parents would complain that it wasn't 'PC,' but for once, the whole bunch—even the ones who don't celebrate Christmas—decided that this would be a good experience for their children. You know, cultural exposure. I'm asking for your help because you're my partner."

"Well, why don't they hire a Santa?" She couldn't believe she'd said that.

"Because I'd already agreed to do it, and being this close to Christmas, all the Santas are booked."

"Won't Parker recognize us?"

"'Us?' Does that mean you'll help?" He was hopeful for the first time during their conversation.

"You didn't answer my question, Booth."

Booth sighed. "No, Bones, I don't think he'll recognize us. I'll have the whole getup on—including the beard—and you'll be disguised, too."

The line was silent for a moment, and he thought she'd hung up on him. "Bones?"

"I'm thinking," she sighed. "Okay, I'll help you, but you better not make me Rudolph!"

"Did you just make a joke, Bones?" he teased.

"It's not too late for me to back out, Booth."

"You're right. I'm sorry. I'll be by to drop off your costume in a little while." His mood had made a 180-degree turn in the last couple of minutes, and he was actually looking forward to being Santa.

"Okay, I'll see you then."

Before she disconnected the call, she could have sworn she heard him whistling 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.' Even as she shook her head, a slight smile tugged at the corners of her lips, and she wondered what she'd gotten herself into.

**VVVVV**

**Thanks for reading! Thoughts? Comments? Too out-of-character to continue?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks so much for the feedback for chapter 1. This story was/is so much fun to write, and I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. There are slight references to 'The Woman in the Sand,' and 'The Santa in the Slush,' but nothing that will ruin the episodes if you haven't seen them. But if you haven't seen them, why?! :) Enjoy chapter 2!**

**VVVVV**

True to his word, Booth arrived at the Jeffersonian that afternoon. He carried a garment bag in one hand and a plastic bag in the other.

"Hey, Bones!" he exclaimed as he entered her office. "I really appreciate you doing this."

"I'll probably regret it…"

"No, once you see those little kids' faces, you'll love it."

She shot him a 'yeah, right' look, which he dismissed with a grin.

"Do you want to see your costume?" he asked, continuing to grin.

"I guess now's as good a time as any. When is this thing, anyway?"

"December 19," he said as he laid the garment bag across the back of the couch.

"That's next Friday!" she exclaimed, watching as he pulled the first item from the plastic bag.

"I know, and I'm sorry for springing this on you, but I just found out about it myself," he said as he handed her the article.

"A hat with pointed ears attached to it?" Brennan questioned.

"Yeah, elf ears!"

"You're making me be an elf? Booth, that's not fair!" She paused, examining the hat with ears. "Wait, I've seen this before. Sweets had something like this."

"Actually, that is Sweets'," Booth said with a chuckle. "We thought it'd be funny."

"Since when are you friend-friend with Sweets?"

"Huh? No, it's 'buddy-buddy,' Bones, and Sweets and I are not it. I saw him earlier, and he asked me what I was doing with all the stuff. I told him and he mentioned that he still had the elf-ear hat. I think he wanted me to ask for his help."

"And you thought it would be funnier to make me an elf?"

"You're not going to be an elf. The hat was just a joke. The rest of your stuff is still in here," he said, holding up the bag.

"Oh." She took the bag from his outstretched hand and moved to sit on the couch. She removed the first item and quirked an eyebrow at Booth. "Curly, white wig?"

Booth's only response was to smile and join her on the couch.

Brennan shook her head and laid the wig beside her. Her brows furrowed further in confusion as she took the floppy red velvet hat, apron, cookie sheet, and small-framed glasses from the bag. "I thought you were playing Santa, Booth. What is all this stuff?"

"I am Santa. You're Mrs. Claus!" he exclaimed as he reached for the garment bag. He unzipped the garment bag and pulled out a long red dress trimmed with white fur. "See?"

"Booth, you don't actually expect me to wear this, do you?"

"Of course I do, Bones," he said, trying to keep the hurt out of his voice. "You're Mrs. Claus."

"You know how I feel about marriage," she stated as she began putting the items back in the bag.

"I'm not asking you to marry me. I'm just asking you to play a part for a couple of hours." He tapped her on the arm with his knuckles. "You know," his voice took on a playful tone. "Like Roxie."

Brennan blushed and looked away from him, then she cleared her throat and stood. "Roxie and Tony weren't married."

"Right, I know. They were 'engaged to be engaged.'"

"Exactly. So I don't see why we have to pretend to be married this time. I could be your girlfriend."

"No way! Santa doesn't have a girlfriend, or a fiancée, or a mistress. Santa has a wife!"

"How do you know? Santa doesn't really exist, so who's to say that he has a wife?"

Frustrated, Booth sighed and stood. "Fine. Just forget I asked, Bones. I'll ask Sweets for help."

He tried to walk past Brennan, but she stepped into his path and stopped him. "Booth, you don't have to be so defensive and upset."

"I'm just trying to do something nice for my kid and his friends, and I thought I'd ask my _partner_ for help."

In that instance, Brennan saw how important the whole thing was to Booth. "Fine," her voice softened. "I'll be your Mrs. Claus."

Booth's eyes lit up, and he smiled before he pulled her into a tight embrace. "Thank you so much, Bones! I really owe you."

"You don't have to pay me. I'm helping my _partner_," she said as she pulled out of the embrace.

Booth grinned at her deciding not to comment on her 'take-everything-literally' perspective. "I've got to get back to the office, but I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Yeah, sure," she replied as she walked around her desk and sat in her chair.

Booth made his way to the door, but stopped when Brennan called out to him. "Yes?" he asked as he turned back to face her.

"I'm not making you cookies, and I'm not carrying the cookie sheet."

He saw the smile on her lips and in her eyes. He returned the smile and nodded once. "Cookie sheet, optional. Got it."

Booth left Brennan's office whistling 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town.' He was really getting into the Christmas mood.

**VVVVV**

**Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, like the first line of this chapter, the holiday jumped on me faster than I realized, and now I'm a frantic mess trying to get the rest of this fic posted. Eh, oh well. It takes my mind off all the real-life craziness. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the first two chapters. I received some excellent comments which fueled my muse for this chapter. A special thanks goes to lucyc66 for the image of Sweets. I never saw it the way you did, but it was such a hilarious idea that I had to put it in there. Enjoy!**

**VVVVV**

December 19 arrived before they knew it, and the early afternoon found the partners in Brennan's office where Booth bellyached about...well, his belly.

"Bones, could I get some help here?" Booth asked, irritated as he pulled and tugged at the padding under the Santa suit. "If this guy would lay off the cookies, the rest of us wouldn't have to wear padding!" he grumbled.

Brennan, who had changed into the Mrs. Claus dress before Booth arrived, had watched Booth struggle with the suit and couldn't suppress a chuckle. "You're the one who insisted on pretending to be someone who doesn't exist."

"Santa does exist. Just because you can't see him doesn't mean he's not there."

"Like God?" Brennan questioned, skepticism evident in her voice.

Booth, always hesitant to get into a discussion about religion with Brennan, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I wouldn't equate God and Santa, but generally speaking, yes."

"You could always call and cancel. Tell them Santa had an emergency."

Stunned by her lack of argument and the abrupt change of subject, Booth was momentarily speechless. "What? No way! We're not turning back now." He took another deep breath. "Could you please help me with this suit?"

Brennan finally consented and went to work shifting the padding into a Santa-esque shape.

"Bren, I just heard that you're taking time off this afternoon," Angela said as she entered Brennan's office. "Well, hello Santa!" she flirted and fired a grin at Booth. "Too bad you've already got a Mrs. Claus, because I've been a very bad girl this year, and I should be punished."

"Angela!" Brennan exclaimed.

"Relax, Sweetie. I'm just kidding," Angela said. "I must say that you both look adorable. What's the occasion? Christmas party?"

"No, definitely not," Brennan declared.

"Well, it sort of is for a Christmas party, Bones." He turned his attention to Angela. "Bones agreed to help me do this for Parker's class."

"Aw, that's really sweet!" Angela exclaimed. "But will they let you be Santa? It's not exactly standard procedure."

"That's what I said," Brennan informed Angela. "But apparently all the parents agreed that this would be a good cultural experience for the children—even those who don't celebrate the holiday."

"And how did an FBI agent get roped into playing a jolly old fat man?"

"I volunteered," Booth interjected. "A long time ago. When I thought there was no chance of it actually happening."

"Ah," Angela said. "Well, that explains the 'personal leave' I came to ask you about, Bren." Her eyes narrowed and her gaze drifted between Booth and Brennan. "Not that I don't think this whole thing is adorable, but Sweetie, how did you get involved?"

"I pulled the 'partner' card," Booth told her. "And I threatened to ask Sweets for help."

"It wasn't much of a threat, Booth. And you would have been completely miserable with Sweets."

"Yeah, he'd be worse than the kids. And they'd probably mistake him for a giant seven-year-old."

The three shared a laugh, each secretly ashamed for making Sweets the butt of their jokes.

"Wait," Angela said as she realized what they'd been talking about. "You said Sweets was going to help you? You were going to make Sweets be Mrs. Claus?!" she asked with a grin.

"No, he was going to be an elf," Booth supplied.

"Good, because I'm not sure I'd be able to look at Sweets the same way if he'd been Mrs. Claus." She turned to Brennan. "So does Cam know that the reason you took personal time was so that you could go ho-ho-ho-ing with your partner?" Angela asked mischievously.

"What I do in my personal time is not Cam's business. I don't meddle in her affairs, and I expect the same from her."

"Affairs?" Booth and Angela questioned simultaneously.

Brennan rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."

"For once I actually do," Angela replied. "Well, I better get back to work, but you two have fun today."

"Yeah," Booth said, although he didn't sound too sure of himself.

After Angela left the office, Brennan continued to stare at the door, brows creasing in concentration.

"What?" Booth asked.

"Did you ever think about how we're going to get out of the lab and into the parking lot?"

"Uh…no. Why?"

"Well, it's one thing to be these characters for the children's benefit, but what will all the adults in the lab think?"

"That we're seven weeks late for a Halloween party?"

"Come on, Booth!"

"I'm kidding, Bones. Honestly, I hadn't thought that far in advance, but I don't see that we have a choice. We'll just have to make a beeline for the parking lot and hope nobody notices the two red flashes."

"We could change back into our regular clothes and then change again when we get to the school. Don't they have a bathroom?"

"I am not changing out of this and then back into it. Besides, there won't be enough time." He looked at his watch. "We're already late, anyway. Are you ready to go?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," she replied.

"You do look very nice," Booth said seriously.

"Thanks," she said with a slight smile. "You don't look so bad either."

"Yeah, right."

"You look very…appropriate for the situation." Brennan groaned inwardly fully aware that she'd never been good at giving compliments. She cleared her throat and grabbed the wig, hat, and glasses from the desk where she had laid them earlier. "Let's go, Santa Booth!" she called over her shoulder as she left her office.

He grinned to himself and wondered if she'd really called him 'Santa Booth.' It sounded like a display at a carnival, but it was catchy and certainly not the worst thing he'd been called. He hurried out of the office after his partner, hoping they wouldn't make fools of themselves…too much.

**VVVVV**

**Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for all the support and feedback for the first three chapters. This is such a fun story to write, and I love all the ideas y'all tell me about in your reviews. Enjoy!**

**VVVVV**

They almost made it to the door unnoticed but were stopped by a man entering the building.

"If you need someone to keep you warm on Christmas Eve while the fat man's away, give me call," he said as he eyed Brennan.

Ice-blue and brown daggers went his way, but neither Brennan nor Booth replied.

"What? Too selfish to share your ho-ho-hos?" the man persisted.

Booth's hand withdrew from its customary place at the small of Brennan's back, and he clenched and unclenched it, trying to contain his anger.

"Want to see if my North Pole is better than his?" the man laughed.

Booth had heard enough and wheeled to face the man. Anger boiled inside him and in four steps he was standing directly in front of the vulgar man.

"You know what, _buddy_? Show some respect. She's a lady." It took all of Booth's restraint to keep from belting the man right there.

The man, obviously stunned by Booth's outburst, quickly muttered an apology and hurried in the opposite direction.

Booth watched the man flee, then unclenched his fists, cleared his throat, and followed Brennan outside.

"He must be new," Brennan mused.

"Or stupid," Booth replied. "Don't worry, I'll shoot him later."

"Why would you shoot him?" Brennan asked as they quickened their pace.

"Because he was disrespectful to you."

"Booth, that doesn't make any sense. You can't shoot him just because he objectified me. I don't like it either, but they're just words."

"You're my partner, so it's my job to stand up for you. I know you're going to interrupt me and say that you don't need me to defend you, but it's my way of showing that I respect you. That I care about you."

"Just don't shoot him," Brennan said, smiling to herself but deciding not to comment on his declaration.

Booth stopped in front of a vehicle that Brennan didn't recognize.

"Where's the SUV?" she questioned.

"At home. Being Santa isn't exactly FBI business, so I couldn't use the SUV."

She waited for him to unlock the door then she opened it and got in. She closed the door and studied the interior of the older model two-door sports car. It was completely unlike anything she'd ever seen Booth drive, yet it was so…him.

Puzzled as to what was taking Booth so long to get in the car, she turned her head toward the driver's side and laughed. All she could see was Santa Booth's belly, which apparently was too large to fit in the car.

Booth grumbled and sighed wondering what else could go wrong. He tried to duck into the car to readjust the seat, but his excessive mid-drift bulge prevented him from doing so. "Bones, can you lean over here and try to get the seat as far back as possible? Just pull the lever and slide the seat back."

She did as he requested but thought that he still wouldn't have enough room.

Booth sat down in the seat perpendicular to the steering wheel, both feet still on the ground. He put one foot into the car and started turning his body toward the front of the car. Just when he thought he would fit, the padding lodged against the steering wheel and wouldn't budge. Booth grumbled again as he tried to flatten the mass against his real belly, but was unsuccessful in making it any smaller.

Usually stoic and grounded, Brennan found herself unable to control her bubbling laughter. She reached across the console in an effort to help Booth, but it only made her laugh harder.

"This completely sucks," Booth muttered. "This is why Santa has an open sleigh. There's no chance of getting stuck!" He looked at Brennan, who was still laughing, then down at himself. Her laughter was infectious, and he soon busted out laughing too.

They sat there laughing for a solid five minutes. Every time one of them would calm down, they would look at each other and start laughing all over again. They laughed so hard their faces hurt. Finally they regained their composure.

"Now what?" Booth questioned.

"Well, there's two options. Take off the padding or let me drive," Brennan told him.

"Is there another choice?"

"Booth!" she said as she slapped his arm.

"Geez, Bones. I was kidding. And next time you get the urge to hit me, go for the stomach. It seems I've got some extra padding there."

They erupted into another fit of laughter.

Brennan calmed down first and tried to remember the last time she'd laughed that hard. "So what's it going to be, Booth?"

"I'm not taking this thing off," he indicated his belly, "so I guess you'll have to drive."

Brennan's eyes lit up and she climbed from the passenger's seat. She walked around the car and waited for Booth to get out. "I can't believe you're letting me drive."

"I'm not letting you drive," he told her as he struggled to stand up. "I don't fit behind the steering wheel, so you're driving by default. There's a difference." He finally made it into a standing position and glanced down at the key ring in his hand. "Please be careful with her, Bones," he said nervously as he handed her the keys.

"Why do you refer to your car as though it had a gender?" she asked as she took the keys. "It's a thing."

"It's a guy thing. Guys have 'girl' cars, and girls have 'guy' cars." he replied, not believing he was going to have to ride in the passenger's side of his own car.

"That's completely counterintuitive, although there are admittedly things I don't understand about gender stereotypes." She got in the car and moved the seat forward.

"It's like a partnership," Booth told her as he climbed in. The excess belly baggage was still uncomfortable, but at least he fit in the passenger's seat. "A male and female partnership. I'm the male, so that makes the car female."

"There's more than one kind of partnership," Brennan said as she buckled her seatbelt and started the engine.

"Yes, I know. But I was thinking more along the lines of a conventional partnership." Sometimes he thought she argued with him just for the fun of it.

"Like us," Brennan stated as she backed out of the parking space.

Booth chuckled. "I wouldn't exactly call us conventional, but yes, I suppose you're right." He glanced at the clock on the dash. "Oh, crap, Bones. We're really late!"

"It's okay, I'll get us there. You just navigate."

She pulled out of the parking lot and onto the always busy road. Considering it was the Friday before Christmas, traffic wasn't too bad though. At least it was moving.

Booth gave her turn-by-turn directions, and soon they neared Parker's school. Booth pulled on his Santa hat with attached beard. "What do you think?" he asked Brennan.

She quickly glanced at him. "It's better than most. Not that I'm an expert on Santa hats and beards."

"I got this one because I know how sneaky these little kids can be, and I know one of them will try to yank the thing off. If that happens, the hat will be pulled down too, but my identity won't be revealed."

Brennan chuckled. "You put way too much thought into this."

"I just keep telling myself that it's all for Parker."

"Eventually he's going to realize that Santa Claus isn't real, Booth."

"You know, it's never too late to start believing again, Bones."

"Are you talking about God or Santa?"

"Either. Both."

They fell silent as they drove closer to the school. While stopped at a red light, Booth glanced out his window and into the car beside them. There was a boy in the backseat who Booth guessed was a couple of years younger than Parker. The boy's eyes widened upon seeing 'Santa,' and Booth read the boy's lips as he tried to convince his mother that Santa was in the car next to them. Booth got the boy's attention again and put his index finger up to his lips in a 'Shh' gesture. The boy nodded enthusiastically and gave Booth a thumbs-up. Booth returned the motion just as the light turned green.

"What are you doing?" Brennan asked, puzzled.

"Just keeping the spirit alive," Booth said with a smile.

He pointed out the driveway to the school, and they pulled into a parking spot a few moments later. Before Brennan cut off the car, Booth opened the door and stepped from the vehicle with only minor difficulty. Brennan emerged from the car soon after, and they hurried toward the front entrance of the school.

"Where's the rest of your stuff?" Booth questioned. "Wig, hat, glasses?"

"I must have left them in the car. I'll be right back."

She quickly walked back to the car to retrieve the forgotten items. She unlocked the car, slid into the seat, and reached for the bag. The curly white wig went on first, and she tucked stray strands of her own hair into the wig. Brennan put on the floppy red hat next and glanced at herself in the mirror. It wasn't as hideous as she imagined it would be. She added the small wire-rimmed glasses and looked at the mirror once again. She would have gone without the glasses, but she knew Booth would tell her it was part of the image of Mrs. Claus, and she would end up wearing them anyway.

Brennan closed and locked the door and made her way back to an impatient-looking Booth. Her pace quickened and they hurried inside.

**VVVVV**

**Thanks for reading! I know that's a mean place to leave it...**

**The part about Booth and the kid in the car is based on something that really happened to my dad. He used to dress up like Santa for his work, and as he was driving to work, he had on the entire outfit (including the hat with attached beard), and a kid in the next car next to his went nuts when he saw 'Santa.' I remembered my dad telling me about that, and I knew it would fit nicely into this chapter.**

**Merry Christmas!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for all the support and feedback so far. I didn't get this finished before Christmas like I wanted to, but since most places still have up their holiday decorations, I'm still in the Christmas spirit. This chapter is the longest chapter I've ever written, but it was so much fun to write that I just couldn't take out any of it! Enjoy!**

**VVVVV**

Booth held open the door for Brennan then followed her inside. Paper signs taped to the wall directly in front of them pointed them to the main office where all visitors had to register. They quickly found the office and waited for the receptionist—K. Ashford, according to the nameplate at the front of her desk—to finish her call. She hung up the phone and looked up at them.

"I'm Seeley Booth."

"Oh, right!" she exclaimed. "Parker's dad. You know, not many fathers—especially ones who work for the FBI—would take time off to do what you're doing. He's very lucky to have a dad like you. I heard once where…"

"I'm sorry, but we're already late. Where do we sign in?" Booth interrupted.

"You're right, I shouldn't keep the kids or the Clauses waiting!" she said, her voice still perky, but tinged with a little hurt. She handed him a clipboard with a visitor log-in sheet and a pen.

Booth signed both of them in and handed the clipboard back to K. Ashford. She then handed him visitor sticker-like nametags. Booth handed one of them to Brennan and began to write on his own.

Brennan got a pen from the holder on the desk and wrote on her own nametag. Then she peeled it from the paper backing and stuck the nametag on her dress just below the furry collar. She put the pen back in the holder threw the trash in the nearby trashcan.

"Geez, Bones!" Booth cried as he got a look at her nametag. "You can't write 'Temperance Brennan' on your nametag. That sort of defeats the purpose of wearing the outfits."

"How was I supposed to know? It's not like I've ever played Mrs. Claus before."

"I just assumed you would know," he replied. Then Booth turned to K. Ashford. "Could we get another one of those visitor nametags?" he asked.

"Are you _the_ Dr. Temperance Brennan?" K. Ashford asked as she handed Booth another blank nametag. "The author?"

"I don't know if I'm the only Temperance Brennan, but, yes, I'm Dr. Temperance Brennan, the author."

"It's an honor to meet you," K. Ashford said as she held out her hand to Brennan, all hurt from Booth's previous interruption forgotten. "I've read all your books! You must have quite the imagination to come up with some of that stuff."

The two women shook hands. "Actually everything I write about is based on my own anthropological experiences."

"Wait!" K. Ashford exclaimed. "Does that mean that Agent Booth is your real life Andy Lister?" she asked as her eyes flicked to Booth.

"No, Booth and I don't have that kind of relationship."

"Right. We're strictly professional," Booth added.

"So, if you're not together, then why are you here?" she asked Brennan.

"We're partners," Brennan told her simply.

"Uh huh," K. Ashford said, though her tone indicated that she didn't believe a word of what they said.

"Bones, we really have to go," Booth said as he handed Brennan her new nametag.

She glanced at it, noticing that Booth had taken the time to write 'Mrs. Claus' on it. She stuck on the new tag and discarded the trash.

Booth and Brennan then got the directions to Parker's classroom and quickly left the office, barely hearing K. Ashford's "Nice to meet you both!"

"I don't think she believed we're just partners," Brennan said.

"No one ever does," Booth replied.

"Weren't you supposed to be handing out candy canes?" she asked, changing the subject. "Isn't that why I was recruited to help you?"

"Yeah, the teacher has them hidden in the classroom. There's a school policy that says all outside food must be checked by an 'authorized administrator,'" he told her, adding air quotes to the last two words.

"They don't even trust the FBI?"

"No special privileges, even for the big guns. I dropped the candy canes off earlier this week for the food screening so we wouldn't have to wait for them today."

"Good idea," Brennan said as they neared Parker's classroom.

"You ready, Mrs. Claus?" Booth asked, the smile evident in his voice.

"Let's get this party started," she answered, smiling at the strange look on Booth's face.

"How do you even know that phrase?" he questioned.

"Some things must remain a mystery." Her smile widened. "Now let's get in there, Santa Booth."

Booth chuckled and shook his head, still not believing she'd agreed to help him. He took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Ho! Ho! Ho!" he bellowed.

"Santa! Santa!" the kids exclaimed, some literally bouncing in their seats with excitement.

"Has everybody been good this year?"

Many kids began talking at once, making any single response unable to be heard. Mrs. Campbell, the teacher, made her way to the front of the room and tried to quiet the rowdy kids.

"Class, let's be quiet for Santa and Mrs. Claus! They've taken time from their busy schedule to come see us today, so let's show them how good we can be, okay?"

Little heads nodded in agreement.

Neither Booth nor Brennan had seen a group of kids become silent so quickly.

Mrs. Campbell turned toward Booth. "What I thought we'd do today, Santa, is divide the children into smaller groups so you and Mrs. Claus are not overwhelmed by the masses."

"That's a great idea, Mrs. Campbell," Booth replied.

"Okay. Do the two of you want to split up or stay together?" Mrs. Campbell asked.

"Stay together," Booth and Brennan replied in unison, glancing at each other. Both were hesitant to have Brennan heading up a group of kids alone.

"Okay," Mrs. Campbell said with a nod. "We'll split them into two groups, then." She turned to the kids. "This half will visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus first," she said as she indicated the left side of the classroom. "This half will eat snacks and do an activity," she told the right side of the class. "Then when everyone is finished, we'll switch!"

There were a few grumbles from both sides of the room, some kids wanting to do the opposite of what they were assigned.

"I hope you don't mind using a rocking chair during your visit today," Mrs. Campbell said to Booth. "Oh, and a few parents asked if I could take some pictures of their children with Santa. I hope that's okay with you."

"Sure, that's not a problem," Booth said as he moved toward the rocking chair.

"Okay, class, I want those of you in the first group who will visit with Santa to quietly get up from your desks and come sit in the floor in front of the rocking chair. I want the other group to silently move to the back of the room where there are snacks and activities."

Mrs. Campbell walked to her desk and retrieved the camera and the sack containing the candy canes. "I hope you don't mind manning the camera," she said as she handed both the camera and the sack to Brennan. I think my assistance is needed more with the food and activities. You know, sugar and glue…" She smiled at Brennan then walked to the back of the room.

"Uh, yeah…" Brennan muttered quietly.

By then, the smaller group of kids had gathered in a semi-circle in front of Booth and were all waiting for instructions from the Clauses.

"Mrs. Claus?" Booth asked.

"What?" Brennan replied as she whirled to face Booth. "Oh, right," she smiled. "How do you want to handle this?"

"Why don't we have each child come sit on my knee where they can tell me what they want for Christmas? We'll smile so you can take our picture, then you can give them a treat from the bag."

At some point within the last few minutes, 'Santa' had picked up an accent that Brennan couldn't place. Swedish, German, and perhaps a little British. And it was terrible. Regardless, she smiled to herself and wondered if she should implement an accent as well.

"Okay," she said, opting for a higher pitch in her voice rather than an accent. "Who wants to go first?"

Having not spent much time around children, Brennan was surprised when all of them raised their hands.

"Me! Me!" the children called as their raised hands flapped wildly.

Brennan put the sack on the floor and finally picked a brown-haired boy wearing a red shirt.

He jumped up excitedly and practically catapulted himself onto Santa's lap. "It's been so long since I saw you, Santa! A whole year! I've been a really good boy this year. Better than ever! And I want a fire truck—not a real one, though, since I can't drive it yet—and a basketball, and a cell phone, and a Wii." The boy grinned up at Booth. "I think that's all, Santa."

"Well, I'll certainly see what I can do!" Booth told him. "Now let's smile real big so Mrs. Claus can take our picture!"

They smiled and Brennan snapped the picture.

The boy climbed from Santa's lap and walked to Brennan.

"I guess your teacher will show you the pictures later," she told him as she handed him a candy cane.

"Thank you," he replied, his eyes still wide with excitement as he sat back down on the floor.

Brennan picked a small blonde girl next. The other kids whined, eager for their chance to sit on Santa's knee. Blonde curls bounced as she skipped to Santa.

"Hello there, young lady. What would you like for Christmas?" Booth asked as he picked her up.

"Well, I really wanted a puppy, but Mommy said that we'll have to leave our apartment, so I can't get a puppy. So maybe you could bring me a 'vir-lu-tal' puppy. You know the one that you feed and pet and play with. That way we don't have to move. Oh, and a teddy bear. I lost my other one, and I'd really like to have another one. Please. And thank you."

"Virtual puppy and a teddy bear," Booth repeated. "Got it. Now smile!"

She grinned so Brennan could take the picture and got down from Booth's knee. Then she skipped to Brennan the same way she'd skipped to Booth earlier.

"Thanks, Mrs. Claus," she told Brennan as she received a candy cane.

The rest of the children in the group had their turn, each asking for normal 'kid things.' Booth motioned to Mrs. Campbell, and she joined Booth, Brennan, and the other half of the kids.

"Are we ready to switch?" Mrs. Campbell asked.

"Yes," Brennan answered. "I told them you would show them the pictures later."

"That's right. I'll have the copies made." She turned so she addressed the entire class. "It's time to switch! Those who were at the back tables please take your snacks and activities back to your desks. There will be some time to finish those after Mr. and Mrs. Claus leave. But now it's your turn with Santa. And everyone who just had a turn with Santa, please follow me to the back of the room for snacks and an activity."

The kids exchanged places, and Brennan joined Booth as he stood and stretched.

"Are you okay?" Booth whispered to Brennan.

"Why wouldn't I be? I'm just taking pictures and handing out candy," she told him.

"I was just curious. I know you're not comfortable around children, but I really appreciate your help."

Brennan didn't have a chance to respond because the other children hurriedly put their stuff at their desks and came to the front of the room.

Again Brennan asked who wanted to go first, and all but one boy raised their hands. That boy was Parker. Brennan almost called him by name, but Booth, sensing what she was about to do, called to a little girl and motioned for her to join him.

Brennan stared at him in puzzlement for a few moments then realized her near slip-up. Then with a brief nod, she stepped away to get a better angle for taking pictures.

Fifteen minutes later Parker was the last to have a turn with Santa. Brennan picked him earlier, but he shook his head and said he would go last.

"Hi, pal," Booth said as he pulled Parker onto his knee. "What can Santa bring you for Christmas?"

Parker smiled and tilted his head. "Um, an iPod and one of those really cool remote control cars that climbs walls and stuff."

"Is that all?"

Parker nodded and a piece of curly hair fell across his eye. He pushed it out of his face, only to have it fall back down.

Booth laughed. "Okay, smile for Mrs. Claus!"

Brennan had taken pictures of them the whole time Parker sat on Booth's lap. She saw the light in Booth's eye as he held his son on his knee, and couldn't resist capturing many shots of that rare moment.

Father and son smiled and Brennan took a few more pictures.

Parker scrambled from Booth's lap and practically ran to Brennan. He grabbed her hand and led her to his desk, completely forgetting about the candy cane she had for him. He pulled out his chair and motioned for her to sit. Brennan, not knowing what to do, sat and was surprised when Parker climbed onto her lap. She encircled him with her arms so he wouldn't fall, and he leaned into her and cupped his hands around her ear.

"I know it's you and Daddy," Parker whispered as he sat up straight in her lap.

"What are you talking about?" Brennan whispered. She was never any good at lying and couldn't even keep up the charade around Parker.

He cupped her ear again. "Daddy is pretending to be Santa, and you're pretending to be Mrs. Claus. I know 'cause Daddy said nobody has eyes like yours. And I told him I don't know what that means, but I think I do now. It means your eyes are pretty. That nobody has eyes as pretty as yours." He pulled away from her ear and gave her a huge grin.

"Thank you," she said as she returned the smile.

"Yep! Oh, and…" he cupped her ear. "I know you and Daddy are helping the real Santa. 'Cause he's real busy and couldn't come here today."

During Brennan and Parker's conversation, Mrs. Campbell rounded up the children and sent them to their seats.

Parker got down from Brennan's lap and slid into his seat after she vacated it.

Brennan made her way back to the front of the class, refusing to look at Booth who watched her the whole way. She laid the camera on Mrs. Campbell's desk then joined Booth but still didn't look at him.

"Okay, class. Let's thank Santa and Mrs. Claus for joining us today!"

The children did as told, each still excited to be in the presence of Santa.

"These are the most well-behaved children I've ever seen," Booth told Mrs. Campbell and the class. "Looks like they're all on the 'Nice' list!"

"That's because I threatened to take away their recess," Mrs. Campbell said with a chuckle. "It's a little harsh, but it works! I'm glad they paid attention and were courteous." She walked them to the door. "Thank you both for coming and happy holidays!"

"Thank you for having us!" Booth said. He turned to the children. "Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!" He opened the door for Brennan, followed her out, and shut the door behind them.

He sighed as they walked down the hall. "I can't believe we pulled that off."

"Yeah…" Brennan trailed off, still thinking about her conversation with Parker.

"Are you okay, Bones?" Booth asked. "What did Parker say to you?"

Brennan remained quiet and kept walking.

"Bones, look at me," he pleaded, his hand hooking her elbow.

"Not here, Booth," she whispered as she pulled her arm from his grasp.

They were back at the main office door and he followed her inside.

"How'd it go?" K. Ashford asked when she saw them.

"Good," Booth answered. "I guess all we need to do now is sign out."

"Sure thing," K. Ashford answered. "Just write the time in the 'out' box, and you're good to go." She handed him the visitor log and turned her attention to Brennan. "Good luck on your next book, Dr. Brennan. And on finding your real-life Andy Lister."

"Thank you, but Andy Lister is a character I created. Finding a real person who is the exact same as a character from my mind is highly unlikely."

Unsure of what to say, K. Ashford nodded uncomfortably. "Uh, okay," she finally muttered as she took the clipboard back from Booth.

Brennan and Booth exited the office, walked down the hall, through the doors, and into the parking lot.

"Where did you put the keys, Bones?" Booth asked.

"I gave them back to you," she replied.

"No, you didn't."

"Yes, I did. I went to get my stuff then I came back and…didn't give you the keys," she finished, remembering her hurried actions.

"Oh, geez. You didn't lock them in the car, did you?"

Brennan sighed. "I must have."

Booth hurried—as fast as he could, considering he still wore the Santa suit—the rest of the way to his car. Sure enough, the keys were in the seat.

**VVVVV**

**Thanks for reading! I've got one more chapter planned, so look for it soon!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for all the support for the previous chapters. I'm incredibly sorry it's taken me so long to get this chapter posted. I originally wrote this in a notebook, but it was really long and took me forever to type it! At least it's posted now, right? :) And because I was pen-happy, I split what I had intended on being the last chapter into two separate chapters, so this is not the last chapter. I hope you're not too out of the Christmas spirit! Enjoy!**

**VVVVV**

"Now what?" Booth cried as he turned and leaned against the car.

"Doesn't your car have one of those keypad locks?" Brennan asked.

"No, it was made before they added the keypads," Booth told her. "I've got an extra key, but it's at home."

"We could call a cab," Brennan suggested.

Booth cut her a look. "Can you imagine what the driver would think after picking up Mr. and Mrs. Claus at an elementary school?"

"Since when have you cared what people thought?"

"Angela!" Booth exclaimed, not answering her question. "We could call Angela."

"She has already seen us like this." Brennan groaned. "Can you imagine what Angela's going to say?"

"Since when do you care what other people think?" Booth replied, mocking Brennan.

"Okay," Brennan said with a chuckle. "We've established that under normal circumstances, we don't care about other people's opinions. However, this is a very rare and unfortunate situation, and we can't help but to care a little."

"You're absolutely right."

"Can I borrow your phone?" She indicated her dress. "I didn't have anywhere to put mine, so I left it in your car."

"You can find a place for a monster gun while wearing a Wonder Woman costume, but you can't find a place for a phone while wearing a dress?"

"That was different!" she defended herself.

"Sure," he said sarcastically as he reached to get his phone. The extra padding around his mid-section hindered his normal movement, and no matter how much he struggled, he couldn't get his fingers around the phone in his back pocket. "You gotta be kidding me!" he groaned.

Brennan smirked. "Too many cookies?"

"We wouldn't be in this situation if you hadn't locked the keys in the car."

"This whole thing was your idea."

"You're right," Booth sighed. "Could you get my phone? It's in my back pocket."

He turned his back toward her, and she stepped forward and retrieved the phone, accidentally brushing his backside with her fingers.

"Geez, Bones!" he yelped in surprise and jumped forward.

"Sorry," she muttered as she flipped open the phone and dialed Angela's number.

After three rings Angela picked up.

"Hey, Ange…"

"Bren, Sweetie! Or should I just start calling you Mrs. Claus? How did it go?"

"Ange, slow down. We need a favor."

"Sure. What is it?"

"We locked the keys in the car, and we…"

"Bones locked the keys in the car," Booth interrupted loudly.

Brennan sighed. "I locked the keys in the car, and we need a ride back to the Jeffersonian."

"I'm sorry," Angela laughed. "I thought you said you locked the keys in the car!"

Brennan's eyebrows crinkled. "That's exactly what I said. What's so funny?"

Booth rolled his eyes and rubbed his face.

"You're locked out of the car…in an elementary school parking lot…dressed as Mr. and Mrs. Claus," Angela cackled.

"Ange…"

"I'm sorry, Sweetie," Angela said as she tried to control her laughter. "Just tell me where you are and I'll come get you."

"Thanks," Brennan sighed and gave Angela the directions.

"I'll be there soon."

Brennan snapped the phone shut and held it out to Booth. "Want me to put it back?"

He snatched the phone from her. "No, I got it." He blamed the Santa suit for the sudden rush of heat.

A silence hung between them for a few minutes.

Booth finally broke the silence. "I can't believe you locked the keys in the car," he said as he shook his head.

"I didn't do it on purpose."

"I know. And it's actually kind of funny. This whole thing is," he laughed.

"It's certainly something I'll never forget," Brennan agreed.

"Thank you, Bones. It really means a lot to me that you did this. Especially since you don't believe."

"You know, when we started this, I thought I'd regret it, but you told me that I would change my mind when I saw the kids' faces. You were right."

Booth smiled. "I know it takes a lot to admit when I'm right."

"Well, it doesn't happen often, so…" she smiled.

"Hey!" he protested, even though he joined her in laughing. "So, what did Parker say to you?"

"I don't think I should tell you. Not now, anyway."

"Why not?"

"I just don't think now is a good time."

"Come on, Bones. We tell each other everything."

They fell silent and she thought about what Parker told her. Booth never said she had pretty eyes. Why was she so affected by hearing those words from Parker? And why did it bother her that she'd never heard them from Booth?

Soon, they saw Angela's car. Brennan could see the smile on Angela's face even before the car was stopped. Angela unlocked the doors and Brennan climbed in the front while Booth got in the back.

"It's not every day I get the privilege of chauffering the Clauses," Angela said with a grin as she pulled out of the parking lot.

"Well, it's not every day two different women drive me around," Booth said, sounding exhausted.

"What?" Angela asked confused.

"Booth couldn't fit behind the wheel of his car while wearing that costume, so he let me drive," Brennan explained.

"By default!" Booth protested from the backseat.

Angela laughed. "Wow, it sounds like you've had quite the adventure!"

"You have no idea," Booth said. "But I'd do it all again for Parker. Even the part where Bones locked the keys in the car."

"I said it was an accident!"

"Joke, Bones. Everything happens for a reason. I don't have to like it, but I do have to accept it."

Silence engulfed the car for three miles. Finally, Brennan broke the silence.

"What did you tell Cam?" she asked Angela.

"That I was taking half an hour to help spread some yuletide cheer."

"And she let it go at that?" Booth asked.

"What did you want me to tell her? That I had to rescue Mr. and Mrs. Claus?" Angela laughed. "Yeah, that would have gone over really well."

"I'll take care of your time, Ange," Brennan said.

"Don't worry about it, Sweetie. I was actually looking for an excuse to get out of there. No one ever needs a face drawn this time of year, so I'm essentially useless right now."

"You're never useless," Booth and Brennan said together.

"Aw, thanks guys!" Angela said as they pulled into the Jeffersonian parking lot.

Dreading going back into the Jeffersonian in their current attire, both Booth and Brennan looked to see who was in the parking lot. They dashed toward the Jeffersonian entrance, leaving Angela alone. They hurried through the halls hoping to go virtually unnoticed as they had before. No such luck. They rounded the corner and literally ran into Cam.

"Well, if it isn't Jolly Old St. Nicholas and his blushing bride," Cam said. "Going to a party?"

Booth and Brennan glanced at each other, remembering their conversation earlier in the day about their attire.

"Just came from one," Booth said, trying to step around Cam or at least persuade her to follow them to Brennan's office.

"And Dr. Brennan was invited to this party?"

Booth sighed. "I was Santa for Parker's class, and I asked Bones to help."

"Because we're partners," Brennan added.

"Right," Cam replied sarcastically. "Because there can't be a Santa without a Mrs. Claus."

"We work better as a team," Booth told Cam. "And you'll have to excuse us, but we've got to get back to the school to get my car."

"How'd you get here if your car is there? Reindeer and a sleigh? And why is your car there?"

"It's a long story, but basically, Bones locked the keys in the car and we called Angela."

"Ah, that explains the gleam in her eyes when she said she was going to spread yuletide cheer."

"I thought she was joking," Booth told Brennan. He turned his attention to Cam. "Sorry, but we really have to go." He ushered Brennan away from Cam and toward Brennan's office.

Thankfully, they made it there without further interruptions.

"Okay, I'll meet you back here in five minutes," Booth said as he grabbed the bag containing his normal clothes that he left there earlier.

"Sure," Brennan agreed as she removed the glasses, hat, and wig. She shook her head and wondered why she hadn't already removed the Mrs. Claus accessories. Maybe—deep inside—she'd enjoyed being Mrs. Claus.

Five minutes later, they met in her office as planned.

"What do you want me to do with this outfit?" Brennan asked.

"They're not due back until Monday, but there's no need to keep them. We can drop them off on our way to get my car."

They put the outfits in the garment bags and the accessories in another bag. Brennan grabbed her wallet, keys, and the bags with the Mrs. Claus stuff as Booth picked up the Santa bags.

They left her office and were not stopped by anyone—no rude men, no fanatic receptionist, and no Cam.

"It figures," Booth said as they approached her car.

"What?"

"Not one single person talked us when we're dressed normal. We were people magnets as the Clauses."

"Well, they are pretty popular this time of year," she smirked as she unlocked the car doors. "You really should invest in a car with numeric locks."

"I'm glad to see that you're finally catching some of that Christmas spirit, but I don't plan on ever having to give you the keys again.

They put their bags in the back and got in the front. They buckled their seatbelts and Brennan started the car.

"Should we go to your place or drop off the costumes first?" Brennan asked after they were already on the main highway.

"My place. It won't take long to grab the other key. Good thing I still keep a house key hidden outside."

"I hope you found a better hiding place,"

"My hiding place is just fine, thank you," Booth muttered as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I don't know. I mean, I found it."

"Well, you're a genius. Besides, you were so mad that you were coming through the door one way or another."

"True," Brennan agreed.

Soon they were in front of Booth's.

"I'll wait here, if that's okay with you," Brennan said.

"Yeah, that's fine. I won't be long."

Booth was back in less than a minute, spare car key in hand. He gave her the directions to the costume rental store, just a few miles away. Once there, he got out and grabbed all the bags.

"There's no need for you to go in. I got it," Booth said as he held up the bags.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'll be right back."

Brennan waited in the car and eventually turned on the radio. She scanned the channels and settled on a station that wasn't one of her usual ones.

"Sorry that took so long," Booth said as he got back in the car a few minutes later. "Christmas music?" he questioned, surprised at Brennan's music choice. "Who are you, and what have you done with my Bones?"

She smiled at his comment and pulled back onto the main road, completely unperturbed by his possessiveness. "In the spirit of the season, as you call it, I felt the need to immerse myself in the culture of holiday music. Speaking of culture, weren't we supposed to explain the different holiday celebrations?"

"It seems Mrs. Campbell took care of that. Did you look at any of the projects the kids did?"

"No."

"Some of them made _Dreidels_, others had paper ornaments with pictures of Santa or his worldwide equivalents—Sinterklaas, Père Noël, Weihnachtsmann, Babbo Natale, Papá Noel, Papai Noel…"

"Wow, you're really into this Santa stuff," Brennan said with a chuckle.

"I figured that if I was going to be the man, I had to know all about him!"

"Sounds like you do."

"And I got a head's up from the teacher. Mrs. Campbell said that she tries to take little time to teach the kids about worldwide holiday traditions through out the year. And I saw posters for Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa."

"I didn't notice those."

"I'm surprised. You usually notice everything!"

"I was caught off guard by what Parker told me."

"Are you ever going to tell me what Parker said?"

She smiled to herself. "Maybe. I haven't decided."

The song changed to one Brennan recognized, and she began to sing along.

Surprised, Booth stared at her. "You know Sinatra?"

"Of course," she said. "'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,' especially Frank Sinatra's version, was one of my mother's favorites. And it's one of the first songs I remember hearing."

She started singing again, and Booth continued staring.

The song finished just as they pulled into the parking lot at the school. Virtually empty due to the time of day, Brennan pulled into the space next to Booth's car.

"Listen, Bones," Booth said as he turned down the volume on the radio. "I know I wasn't the easiest person to deal with today, but I sincerely appreciate your help. I couldn't have done it without you. So, dinner at the Diner?" He flashed a smile for good measure.

"Only if you're buying," Brennan replied with a smile of her own.

"Wouldn't have it any other way. I'll meet you there," he said as he opened the door and got out. "Thanks, Bones. See you in a few."

"Bye, Booth."

Booth shut the door and watched as she turned up the volume on the radio before she pulled away. He smiled as he got in his car. Maybe all hope wasn't lost with Brennan. Maybe he could get her to like Christmas after all.

**VVVVV**

**Thanks for reading! I don't claim to know everything about Santa or worldwide holiday traditions, so if I missed the one you celebrate, it wasn't my intention. Thanks to Ponys for the idea of 'Santa equivalents.' :) Hopefully I'll get the last chapter typed, so watch for it soon!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Well, this is it--the final chapter! Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed, favorited, alerted, etc. I absolutely adored writing this fic, and I'm sad that it's finished. But all good things must come to an end, and I am excited to see what my muse comes up with next. Enjoy!**

**I meant to put a disclaimer in the previous chapter regarding the song. And since there's a song in this chapter, too, I'll put up the disclaimer for both chapters. I do not own the songs, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" or "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree." I didn't ask for permission to use them, and they are not mine. I do have a general disclaimer on my profile page, so I don't usually include them in each story. There was also a reference to "Mummy in the Maze" in chapter 6. In this chapter, there is another slight reference to "The Santa in the Slush."**

**VVVVV**

Later, seated across from each other at their usual table at the diner, they waited for their food. Music played through the overhead speakers, and another song Brennan recognized began to play.

Brennan hummed along with the song, and Booth stared at her in amazement.

"First Sinatra, now Brenda Lee? I'm impressed."

She stopped humming and smirked. "My mother liked that one, too, although I never understood why people would be dancing around a tree. It doesn't make sense that the tree is in the center of the room—there would be too much wasted space."

"Only you would over-analyze the lyrics to 'Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree,'" Booth said with a grin.

"It just seems as though the people who write songs aren't always thinking logically."

"That's part of the art of songwriting," Booth replied. "Songs are about real life and feelings, not logic and thinking."

The waitress brought their food, and the song dissection ceased as they focused on their food.

Brennan broke the silence a few minutes later. "Do you really want to know what Parker said?"

Shocked that she offered to tell him, he coughed as he choked on his food. "You don't have to tell me," he said as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. "But I'd really like it if you did," he finished with a smile.

She smiled and stole one of Booth's fries. "He knew," she told him simply.

"What do you mean?"

"He knew it was us, Booth. That we were pretending to be the Clauses."

Eyes wide, Booth stared at her. "No way! How'd he know?"

She stole another fry, both knowing that if he objected, she could withhold the rest of the explanation. "He paid attention to something you said." She looked away momentarily then returned her gaze to his. "He said that you told him no one has eyes like mine." She smirked as she watched Booth squirm in his seat, embarrassment turning his face crimson. "Want to tell me why you said that to Parker and not to me?"

"Uh, well, Parker asked me about why his eyes are brown. I told him eye color was hereditary."

"You tried to give him a genetics lesson?" she asked with a smile. "That explains why he said he didn't know what that meant."

"He actually said, 'I don't know what that means?' He sounds like you," Booth grinned. He grabbed a fry and sat back. "Man, I can't believe we went through that whole thing, and he knew all along!"

"It wasn't a complete waste. He also said he knew it was us but that we were there helping because the real Santa was too busy to come himself." She paused. "He gets his passion for life from you, Booth. I've said it before, but you're an excellent father."

"Thanks, but I didn't tell him to say that."

"That's not what I meant. He was adamant about telling the truth—that he knew we were the Clauses—and seeing the good in others—that we helped Santa. You're an outstanding influence to him, and he really looks up to you."

"That's very nice of you to say."

"I only speak the truth."

"That's why we work together so well."

They held each other's gaze for what felt like years but was only a few moments.

Brennan finally broke eye contact. "What's the matter? Do I have something on my face, or are you just staring at my one-of-a-kind eyes?"

"No, I, uh…well, I…" Booth stuttered as he shifted in his seat.

"Relax, Booth," Brennan said as she snatched yet another fry from his plate. "I'm kidding."

Ever since Parker told her what Booth said, she'd wanted to hear the words from Booth, but the moment passed and they finished their meals in relative silence.

Booth grabbed the check the waitress had left earlier. He pulled the money from his wallet and put it on the table. "Ready?"

"You don't have to pay for mine," she protested.

"No, that was our deal," he told her as he smiled and stood up. "You can buy next time."

"Deal," she replied as she grabbed her coat and got up. She put on her coat and pulled her hair out from under the collar.

Booth held open the door for her then followed her outside.

"Oh, I forgot to get my phone from your car," Brennan said.

"Right!" Booth agreed as he led Brennan to his car.

He opened the door and grabbed her phone from the console between the seats. Their fingers brushed as he passed the phone to her.

"Well," Brennan said, trying to prolong their time together, "thanks for an exciting day."

"I should be the one thanking you. You'll never know how much that meant to me—even if Parker knew the whole time."

They shared a laugh.

"I better get going," Brennan muttered, not finding any excuse to stay. "See you Monday?"

"Yeah, Monday."

Brennan turned to leave.

"Let me walk you to your car," Booth offered.

"I'll be fine, Booth."

"Humor me."

Brennan rolled her eyes and sighed, but agreed to Booth's request.

In silence, they walked the short distance to her car. She reached for the door handle, but was stopped by Booth's voice.

"Listen, Bones…"

"Yeah?" she asked hopefully.

"I should have told you before Parker did—you know, about your eyes."

"Booth, you don't have to…"

"No, I wanted—want—to. Desperately. No one has eyes like yours. I mean that." He ran a hand through his hair as he tried to gather his thoughts.

The normally calm, rational Brennan could barely catch her breath.

"I'm so lucky that we're partners because I get to look at the most beautiful eyes everyday. It's not just your eyes, though. You've got it all, Bones—brains, beauty." He moved closer to her. "And I know that sounds cheesy but it's the truth."

He took one of her hands in both of his and frantically looked around.

"Is something wrong? What are you looking for?"

"Mistletoe…"

"What? Why?" she asked, her brows crinkled in confusion.

"Because I really need to kiss you."

"You don't need mistletoe to kiss me," she told him with a mischievous grin.

"I don't?"

She shook her head.

"And you're not going to punch me when I kiss you?"

"I'm only going to punch you if you don't."

That was all the incentive he needed, and he cupped her face in his hands as he slowly pressed his lips to hers.

It had been a year since they first kissed, but this one was different. This one was real.

As they crossed the "just partners" line, the snow began to fall. They slowly pulled apart and grinned at each other.

She sighed contentedly. "Looks like I found my real life Andy Lister."

Booth laughed as he remembered the receptionist from Parker's school. "I'm glad we agree."

"I have something to confess," Brennan whispered. "I've had a really good time today."

Booth smiled. "So you don't hate Christmas?"

She shook her head. "Not anymore."

"I never thought I'd see the day where Temperance Brennan admitted to having some Christmas spirit!"

She punched his arm.

"Hey! I thought you said you wouldn't punch me!"

"I said I would punch you if you didn't kiss me. And you weren't kissing me, so…"

"We can definitely remedy that situation," Booth whispered as he pulled her in for another kiss.

The snow continued to fall around them, and they finally pulled apart.

"I'm guessing I'll be seeing you before Monday?"

"You are correct," she grinned, her eyes sparkling. "Santa Booth."

**VVVVV**

**Thanks for reading! You've been fabulous!**


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